Sunday Night Friday Favorites

It's been so long since I wrote Friday Favorites, but I have so many favorites from the past few weeks... So I end my weekend by skipping homework and enjoying writing :-)

First, I love this song: Hit play and enjoy while you read!

Okay, now to the favorites!

Luca turned one!
Jen and Romo did such a great job with the decorations at his party:
I think Jamie made the chalkboard. So cute!!

More decorations and the favors - Snacks in Mason Jars with little ties on them.

Birthday boy with his smash cake...he was not into it! :-)

Some of my favorite cousins with their funny faces.

And Cath...Love you!

Luca, Mom, and Dad. Always so fun to hang out with you guys!

Love coming to your parties, cousins! Happy first birthday, Luca!

Bucktown Arts Fest

This fest is like two little blocks from my house. It was so nice to walk over, be in the neighborhood, find some great art, and have some drinks with friends while we listen to a band. 

I bought a piece of art from the guy who did this one...I liked this one, but only enough to take a pic of it.

Liz and I - so happy to have a neighborhood friend to hang out with!

And my new shirt! And yes, I would say that Midwest is best....all the way through the holidays. Then, in January and February, when I'm sick of snow and slush and cold and ice....that's probably the only time I would disagree. But, it's my favorite season right now...fall! Can't wait until the leaves start changing!

Visiting Jackie

Got to hang out with Rachel, Jackie, and Jackie's sister - Amos, text me one of our pics to add to the blog! 

Jackie and Mikey just bought a new house somewhere out really far away, so Rachel and I were happy to schlep ourselves all the way out there to visit and see the new place!

And her larger-than-life dog! His name is slipping my mind at the moment - Schlophy, what is it again?

And you know we've gotta have a baller-status pic :-)

Thanks for having us, Jackie! So good to catch up and see your new place!

ASU Game

Went to watch our season opener on Thursday and got to see my ASU girls. As Laurie put it in her epic status - up by 42 at the half, our bartender sportin our colors, $20 drink wristbands, and hanging out with the girls. Love them, love the Sun Devils!

Sweet text from a great friend...

Michelle, who was on my team at Heritage, overheard some of the elementary girls talking on their way home one day last week:

Makes me so happy that the kiddos are loving reading and writing! It's been awesome to coteach in the third grade classroom that is right next door to me....I love those kiddos! And I get to see them on the playground, so that's where the cheer moves was coming from. It's safe to say that I'm loving my new job!

Happy Hour with Kerry

Got to catch up with my mentee on Friday for happy hour and it was exactly. what. I needed. By the looks of those smiles, you can guess that I left feeling way better after we had a few drinks and appetizers!

Saturday night out with Liz

Liz and I went out to Division last night. It's in the neighborhood next door - or it's in Bucktown, I'm not sure where the boundaries are. Anyways, we sat on the patio outside Smoke Daddy and had some great drinks and dinner. Then we met some more of her friends at a Nebraska bar down the street. I can't remember the name of that bar, but the music was great and we were in great company. And, I was home in good shape and in time to not sleep away my day today. Good stuff!

I had such a good weekend - had fun, but also got my philosophy paper drafted, my presentation ready for Wednesday night, some reading done .... and laundry and grocery shopping. Boom. Kickin ass, takin names :-)

One more thing: found this graphic online somewhere and loved it...

Going to try and keep this in mind as I navigate my way through my new job. Got myself a new notebook to pay better attention to the appointments I make for coteaching and planning, so that's definitely going to keep me in better shape this week.

And that is all....

Have a great week everyone!

I pledge allegiance...

I don't claim the college I went to for undergrad. Some of my friends get mad at me about this, but there's a few reasons....

Actually, I have a confession to make first:

I never really cared too much about college football until about two years ago. (Don't judge me!) Two years ago, I started going to watch the Arizona State games at Cubby Bear here in Chicago with the ASU Chicago Alumni. I originally went with this girl:

bff!

And that same night, I met Kristy and the guy who I would go on to date for a year and a half:
(Ex not pictured.)

I kept going back to games and also met Laurie:

Because I was dating the ex, I kinda flaked on lots of the games - but I was still watching college football with him, except he's a Gator from University of Florida. So, I was loving college football because of new friends and the new boyfriend.

I'm so happy that I found Cubby Bear and all the connections it made me in Chicago. Also super  excited to go back this week to watch our season opener, but I wasn't always a Sun Devil...

I went to ASU for grad school, but I went to Northern Arizona University for undergrad. This is the thing that gets my friends from undergrad all ticked off - I don't follow NAU. Funny story about this though - I actually dated the mascot at NAU:

Louie the Lumberjack

Wait, let me rephrase....I dated the guy who *was* the mascot : )

also goes by Justin : )

Anyways, I saw Justin this summer and even he brought up this whole thing about how I claim ASU now saying, "You even dated Louie!"

But the thing is, while NAU was a great school and I had so much fun there, it just wasn't ASU. This may partly be because when you get into a master's program, it's totally what you're interested in. I LOVED my program at ASU. And then when I got to Chicago, I met awesome people because I went to ASU game watching.

So, it's not that I don't like NAU - it was an awesome experience. I had tons of great friends, my program was pretty great...but I just love ASU so much because of all the connections it has made me here in Chicago. I don't see this changing either - I am starting another master's at Northeastern Illinois and I have no desire for any golden eagle shirts. Sparky....my heart belongs only to you!

Our first game watching event is this Thursday and I can't wait! Bunch of friends all meeting up, and while I have to work on Friday (Laurie and Kristy were smart and asked for the day off!) I am good with getting some extra coffee on Friday morning and taking a nap after school.

I'm hoping it's a great season! We're not ranked, but not forgotten, either....falling just a few shy of #25. I read that our Wisconsin game is going to say lots about our season, so I'm especially excited for that game...

That's all for Monday and my second Slice of Life! Go Devils!

Camel got me....

Went to yoga yesterday - finally, first time since last Monday. In the Hot Power Fusion class, it's the same sequence you go through, and camel pose is one we do towards the end. It looks like this:

Now first off, I can't reach my feet. In fact, I don't even reach for them, but put my hands in my "yogi pockets" right on my lower back. Every time we do this pose, they always tell us after, "Take a few minutes....this pose might bring up some stuff that you don't expect." Physically, it makes your heart race, and it also takes a lot of trust to go back and reach that far backwards (probably the reason I haven't even tried to reach for my feet yet.)

The whole theme of our class yesterday was "When the dark is at rest, the light begins to move." So our instructor read a little bit about this to us and kept talking about the darkness and light throughout class. We tried camel the first time, I came out of it early feeling really shaky and then she told us to try again - to look past the scariness and darkness of it and reach for the light.

I stuck with her the second time - still not reaching my feet and just leaning back, but stuck it out. I'm so glad it's hot yoga and everyone is sweating their @$$es off in there, because aside from the sniffling no one would probably know that I kinda started crying.

I was. I didn't want to, but I couldn't stop. I was thinking about the dark and the light thing. Here's the passage our teacher shared, which is not my words, but from The Book of Awakening (Nepo):

"Just how do we deal with agitations of the dark? How do we make our way through the tangle of being confused or sad or blocked in understanding a way to tomorrow? it seems natural enough to treat our problems like an overgrown path and go hacking our way through, doing small violence to ourselves. Yet this insight from an ancient Chinese text implies something harder and simler. It implies that agitation itself is dark, that only when we can keep our hands off will there be room for light.

How many times have I examined and reexamined the words of another in my mind, growing dark vines by going over and over what was said: What could it mean? What could all that wasn't said mean? What must I now do in response or in no-response? The thought-weeds grow, blocking the light.

I had to laugh when I think of how many hours I have spent in my life weaving story lines that never came true until, like weeds, they covered my heart. It was as if the light, in infinite patience, won't force itself into our hearts. No, it seems to wait and wait for us to open, content to fill whatever small space we can clear in ourselves.

It seems that agitations of the dark always cover over. For myself, I worked for years covering over more lesions of esteem with agitations of accomplishment, till my heart was covered over with a thicket of achievements. only when I put the achievements aside did the light begin to move. Only then did a Universal warmth reach my sore center. Only when I let the dark energies rest did I begin to heal."

So there I was, crying in yoga class. I was just thinking about how  my thoughts are still pretty frequently going back to my ex and thinking about him, wondering what he's doing or if he's thinking of me. I mean, I'm definitely getting better, but these thoughts still continue to put this darkness in me. I had never thought of it like this until yesterday, and I think that was where the tears were coming from.

So I guess this is the thing - you can't really move on from things until you've learned the lessons. As I look back on my old relationships that didn't work, I can see if I had gone through this journey that I am on now, the recovery may have happened a little quicker. It's been four months, and although I was sad yesterday, I feel way better today. I'd say that's progress : )

Is there anything in your life that is bothering you? Maybe try camel pose and see what surfaces...

Happy Labor Day,

Reactions to VMA performers in 6 words or less

Well I was watching the VMAs and had to comment on how ridiculous Miley was, and then I wanted to put in my 2 cents about all of the performers, so here you go!

gaga - bowling ball confusion but applause!

miley - your sexy does not equal mine.

robyn thicke - why'd you wear that umpire suit?

kanye - Ummm....fast forward.

JT - Now or then, I'm in love!

*nsync - Can't stop smiling. Takes me back!

macklemore - simple. classy. keep spreadin' the word.

jennifer hudson - you're beautiful: inside, outside, and voice.

drake: love (mostly) appropriate rap for TV.

bruno mars - confused....gorillas / love? must study lyrics.

katy perry - rebirth: no cotton candy hair! LOVE!

What did you think about the VMAs? Waaay better to DVR them than to watch all of that 2:30 minute show!

Happy Monday!

Randomness

1. Got into my car this morning and noticed that the rose corsage (momento of 8th grade graduation) that usually is in the ash tray was on the floor. Then glanced all the stuff from the center console was on the passenger's seat. The CD that was in the front middle section was on the floor. But, my yoga mat was still in there. And the Lucy Caulkins books for writing workshop were still in the back, and my trunk wasn't shuffled through. The only thing that was stolen was the GPS. I must not have locked the doors - no windows were broken and there was no other damage. Well, the joke is on the thief - that GPS is four years old and doesn't even charge anymore. So, I say that even though I was a little shaken up this morning, it's a win for me. Oh - and he didn't take the change or the Dunkin giftcard! Definitely winning!

This is for you, Dream Team : )

2. So at the elementary school I have to do recess duty and we finally got the schedule so I'm out with the 2nd - 3rd graders every day. Ummm...before I get to the story - recess duty is all year - and you always go out in all seasons, unless the windchill is like 10 degrees or 10 below, I can't remember. Hi...10 degrees? Boots and coats and scarves and gloves on a bunch of little kids? and then have to take all that stuff to lunch with them. Hot mess.

anyways - so there was this group of maybe 20 girls doing some cheerleading so I went up to them and asked them all peppy, "omg. Are you doing cheerleading?" They all shouted back yes, so I taught them a chant and then today they asked me to show them again. Good stuff, but that's not the what was my first glimpse of seeing I just might like little kids....

Fast forward an hour after recess and I was walking to the office and one little girl walking by and chirps, "Hey, Coach!" Heart melting.

3. Did you hear that *Nsync (That's how their name was spelled and with a star in the front of it, right?) will reunite on the VMAs this weekend? Ohhhh yes, and I will be recording that! Brings me back to that day I was wailing Bye Bye Bye at the top of my lungs on the freeway in Phoenix with the windows down and the dudes in the truck next to me were looking at me with that "Really?" expression. Still not embarrassed. Okay, maybe a little.

wtf is up with JT's hair?!

That's all I've got for today. Hope you had a great Hump Day!

Trying to Surrender

It's so hard to try and make yourself realize some things in life you can't control.

Yes - lots you can....

I wanted to be good at my job, so I worked hard at it (and continue to) so I can be.

(When) I want to lose weight, I know what to do to make that happen.

When I really want to buy something, I figure out a way to make it happen.

When I miss my family or friends, I find ways to connect.

When I didn't want to live in Phoenix anymore, I moved - no job, no apartment. I knew I could figure it out. And I did.

The only thing that I can't seem to nail down is finding a relationship that both of us want to continue.

See....here's the thing: I don't want to date just anyone. If that were the case, I would probably be dating this guy Tim I met a week or two ago from Match. He was nice enough, was in education, was cute enough, so yeah, I could have a boyfriend if I wanted.

That's just it - I don't just want just any guy who wants to date me. I don't think I'm that picky, but come on....some things I've found to be non-negotiable:

I have two degrees and am about to begin a third. You have to be ambitious. I don't necessarily care if you went to college, but you have to be driven enough to move yourself professionally and challenge yourself. You kind of have to like your job. I mean, I love my job. No, not every ounce of every day, but I waaaaay more like it than not.

You have to be more expressive than not. Have you read that book about the five love languages? Well, my top one is to be expressive - text me to tell me you're thinking about me. Tell me I look pretty when you see me. Say that it was so nice of me to do whatever I just did for you. I swear - one text and I'm good for a week!

eh...no.

Also - you kind of have to be funny. Even corny funny would be okay with me. (Okay, perhaps corny funny would be ideal.) : ) Really any kind of funny. Make me laugh. Have fun with me. Be silly. Have inside jokes. Stuff like that.

After I graduated with my Master's, I was telling my Aunt Pam that I was kind of sad, because I like school and coming to campus and meeting new people and learning new things. She told me, "Niece, now it's time to work on a M.R.S. degree." I had no idea what she meant, so she explained - you know, a Mrs. Degree - find a husband!

Sidenote: This is actually a thing! Auntie Pam, thought you made that one up!

Anyways - I get it. I would love for that to happen. But no matter what I do, I think I'm learning that you can't control that kind of thing. I can't just hop on Match (tried it), or go to a meet-up group (did it), or join a volleyball team (yep, that too), or go to alumni events with your college (check, check). I mean - you can do all those things, but that doesn't necessarily lead to anything to happen for sure.

I've never been a super religious person, but this summer I've really come to love yoga. Some of the teachers read us some meditative passages and I love that. I've definitely heard things about letting go from them - and I think it's the  only thing I can really do. But it's so scary! I'm the kind of girl who wants to control everything - do everything in steps to arrive at a finished product. The thing is, this is the one area of my life I just can't seem to control like I want to.

So I guess I need to just surrender. It's scary though. It's putting faith in the unknown and letting go of control. It's so hard, but I am going to start trying really hard to be okay with it. Have you learned this lesson already? Tips? I need help: I'm in the reteaching group for this as it's harder than hell to accomplish...

That's all for tonight and my first Slice of Life.

Happy Tuesday : )

Friday Favorites

I feel bad. I've only been posting Friday Favorites for the last three weeks. Going back to work is exhausting though. I wanted to write last night, but I was too tired. I swear, I'll get back in the habit....but for now, this will have to do!

New Art for my casa

So last Saturday I went to breakfast with a friend, and right next door was this cute little shop with a bunch of art from independent artists around Chicago. I found this little gem and LOVE it. In case you haven't notice, I love Chicago and all things Chicago, so this was perfect for decorating. A little expensive, but worth it. Planning on going back to breakfast at the same place this weekend, and hope to stop in again. There's a super cute shirt I want - it says, "Midwest is Best." Why, yes it is. (Southern California - think you're pretty close to Midwest in this ranking!)


Ezekiel Bread

Okay, so I'll admit it - I don't know much about this bread, but I heard about it from my cousin and bought it. I was expecting it to taste awful, but then it was great! (See - set expectations low and you're always pleased!) (One caveat: this theory does not apply to  teaching...) Anyways, this bread is flourless and made from organic grains. I feel better about eating it. I haven't taken it yet for a day at work, but I will report back about whether or not it puts me in a bad place around 2:30ish. You know when you eat poorly at lunch and then hardly any time has gone by and your'e already craving bad stuff in that afternoon slump? If you want to try it - I found it in the freezer section. Also, read more about it here.

Awwwhhhhh.....DT : )

So Damon was the assistant principal the first year I was hired. Then, when he went to Excelencia to take on the principalship, I went over there to work with him for a few more years. He was a great example of what an amazing leader is and I feel blessed to have worked for him. He mentored me and helped me get to where I am today! He was in town for a conference, so I was so happy that he called me up to meet him for dinner. So, so good to catch up. I've been blessed with great leaders and hope to follow in his footsteps one day! 


Favorite kiddos

These kids are awesome - totally organized my whole library and got it all good to go. It's kinda a secret though - I love them so I call them to help me, but little do they know I just want to hang out with them, too. Love this profession and the great people it brings into my life!

First Day Back

While it's an understatement to say that I totally miss a big handful of people at Heritage (Yes, you!) I'm feeling good about this move to Emerson Elementary School.  Looking at the big picture, I'm happy to report I did the right thing. I feel like Emerson is a great place and I'm going to be really happy there. Everyone I've met is awesome : ) I will, however, miss me some middle school attitude. Need an intervention? Send them over! : )

Hope you had a great week!

Happy Friday, everyone!
xo